Ole'!

Hola chica's & Happy Cinco de Mayo! My love of mexico & their fine fare is no secret around these parts, and I can assure you that at some point today I *will* indeed be sporting a sombrero. In the mean time, pop open a cerveza or salt your margarita glass, enjoy the mariachi band, & grab your scissors & supplies for a simple and fun mexican paper flower making tutorial.

Mexican Tissue Flowers

You Will Need

-4 sheets pink tissue paper, 6" x 12" each
-4 sheets lime green tissue paper, 6" x 12" each
-Scissors
-Ruler
-Green pipe cleaner
-Color marker (if desired)

Instructions

1) Cut the pink tissue paper into 6" x 12" rectangles and stack in a pile of four sheets.

2) Keeping the pile together, fold the sheets along the 6" side, making 1" folds back and forth, like a fan. When you are finished, the folded tissue paper should be a rectangle measuring 1" x 6".

3) Round the four corners off by cutting with a scissors.

4) Fold the long edge of the pile in half so that it measures 1" x 3". Using the scissors, carefully make 2 diagonal cuts at the fold, each 1/4" from the edge, approximately 1/2" in length. (Note: be careful that you do not cut the folded tissue paper in half.) Open the fold back to its 1" x 6" shape. The shape should now resemble a bow tie.

5) Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the lime green tissue paper. Instead of step 3 (rounding off the corners), cut three sets of diagonal notches on both ends so that each side appears like a fork.

6) Repeat step 4 with the lime green tissue paper.

7) Fold a green pipe cleaner in half. Then place the folded pink tissue paper on top of lime green tissue paper and fasten together with the folded pipe cleaner. Squeeze the tissue paper in the middle and twist the pipe cleaner around to tightly secure the flower. This step also creates the stem of the flower.

8) With extreme care, fan out the pink paper on both sides of the pipe cleaner. (Be extra gentle: you do not want to rip the delicate tissue paper!) Slowly separate each of the four pink sheets, gathering each one toward the center. Behold your flower!

9) To create the leaves, fan out both sides of the lime green paper, but don't separate the sheets as you did with the pink paper. You want to leave the leaves thicker.

10) Gently shape with your hands until you achieve your desired form.

source: Right at Home